Hi!

My name is Jose Amoreira, but everybody just calls me Ze. I'm Portuguese. I've been smoking on and off since I was 16 (46 now, old enough to now better). I really never quite quit smoking, only stopped smoking regularly. For example, when my wife got pregnant from my younger son, I stopped buying cigarettes for eleven years, but I'd still smoke a few on dinner parties, if someone around would supply me. I was fine with that. But recently (one year) I started buying my own tobacco again. I don't smoke much (5~7 cigarettes a day), but I'm planning on stopping it anyway. Me joining this group is (hopefully) one step in that direction.

I find it quite easy to stop smoking when I run a lot. On the other hand, It's much more difficult to find the will to run when I smoke a lot! Anybody else has this experience?

Cheers,

Ze

Hi Jenn

From my experience, the main thing to do when quitting is the mental preparation. Say to yourself that you want to quit; write down 10 (or 20, or 100) reasons for quitting. Think about it.

Then, when you do quit, resist the temptation to smoke a cigarette, when it appears. It'll go away soon (but it'll come back again, mind you). I think that the first day is the hardest, the second is easier, and everyday the cravings will be more and more infrequent, and easier to manage. But I don't think that we get rid of them permanently. Every now and then, even after years of nicotine abstinence, something triggers the wish for a cigarette.

Still, life's definitely a lot better if you stop smoking. So, focus on the joy of quitting instead of on the effort to quit.

I'll do it (again) some time soon as well.

Good luck!

Ze

Some very unfortunate events caused me to finally make my decision to quit on November 15th 2009. Having that event was a very big motivator for me throughout the whole process but it still took some work to stay away for good.

First off I realized that I wouldn't be able to continue smoking for very long on my budget at the time. If you can, don't prioritize cigarettes in your budget. Figure out a way to make sure you never have money available to buy them. Another thing that really helped me was making the decision to quit drinking at the same time. You might think it would be harder to do both at the same time but it really wasn't that bad. The hardest thing about this was I had to pretty much stop hanging out with my friends. I knew if there were drinks around I would take them and we all know how good a smoke is when were drunk.  It was just easier to step away from it all for a while and after a few weekends staying at home it became enjoyable to just spend some time alone and do whatever. The other thing that I think really helped me was to not tell anyone about it. When people find out you are quitting they tend to ask about it from time to time so it comes back to the front of your mind and the next thing you know you are craving. It was just better for me to fight my own battle and I didn't feel like it was necessary to have other people trying to hold me accountable.

A little over two years later, I can't say that I have been completely faithful. I still enjoy one every now and then, maybe 3 or 4 in a year with friends, but I will never buy myself a pack again. Some people could not do this, they don't have the power to control their cravings, but just like anything else I think it is ok if you can keep it in moderation; they won't kill me any quicker than all the candy I eat. I did eventually start drinking again once I felt confident enough that I could say no to the smokes but I think the important thing is to know that you have the power and the knowledge to control these substances without it becoming harmful.

Way to go - I have been free of cigs since 12/31/2012!